With the international dilemma of obesity, it is increasingly important to for a healthy diet. The fast-growing selection of fast foods should encourage people to have absolutely healthy eating habits and to eat at home instead. This is not a one-day routine. It is extremely important that children take the time to eat healthy foods such as protein, fruits, and vegetables.
Below are some tips to encourage a healthy diet in children:
Schedule Snack Times
Eating snacks before lunch or dinner may lead to over-eating, this causes weight gain. In addition, snacks causes appetite loss. If you prepare healthy, digestible snacks for children, it can’t hurt to eat snacks outside of eating hours. Make sure the children don’t eat anywhere else so you can keep track of them.
Avoid Fast Foods
Parents sometimes give fast food as a reward for their children. This is not a correct feeding strategy, because it can lead children getting used to junk foods and to develop an aversion to fruit and vegetables. Fast foods should only be given to children when you don’t have time to cook. You should make it a habit to prepare healthy meals every time.
Let the Children Decide
If you are struggling to create healthy eating habits in your child, you must be tired of hearing “I don’t like to eat that”. It will be their decision, which they will probably resist if you let them choose from the list of healthy carbohydrates and healthy vegetables and fruits.
You can choose the significant type, such as chicken and rice, and let them choose the salad dressing and cutting. You have a range of sauces that your child will love with their meals.
Don’t Think “It’s Too Soon”
It’s not too early to start feeding your child with vegetables. Once your child start eating solid foods, you can add bananas, mashed potatoes, rice, apricots, grapefruit and broccoli to their meal. You have to understand that children take their time. When they eat it, they develop a preference for it, although they may hesitate at first. When your child is at school, they should have developed a preference for fruits and vegetables and you might get less objections from them unlike children who weren’t fed fruits and vegetables from the start.
Stock Your Fridge With Food
You don’t want your kids eating snacks every time they’re hungry. To avoid that, you should keep the fridge full of salad, celery, peppers and oranges. Avoid fries and junk foods. Your child will not eat unhealthy snacks if you don’t provide them with some. They can always be instructed to prepare their own salad (using chopped vegetables) which they can prepare to their advantage.
Make sure set an example to your child as they copy what adults are doing. Therefore, it is important that for your child to develop healthy eating habits, you too should follow.